10 Simple Ways to Declutter Your Home Effectively

You look at your counter 10 minutes after you cleared it off. Guess what, it’s covered in stuff again! Papers, backpacks, hats, gloves…How did that happen? Well, my short answer is… life is messy. Life is always changing. Sudden events occur, kids come home from school, and dogs leave their toys out… that is how clutter happens. You cannot avoid clutter. Clutter is as natural as the leaves that fall off of trees in early autumn. That being said, this creates a tiny issue. Although clutter is unavoidable, it can have a major effect on how you and your home function. It can cause confusion, stress, and even panic. It can cause a lack of motivation, efficiency, and productivity… The list of side effects of living in a cluttered space is endless. You’re probably thinking, “But wait, didn’t you just say that living in a perfectly clutter-free home is impossible?” Yes, I did. However, there are some ways to keep that clutter to a minimum. I like to call it “decluttering.” Today, I will be showing you 10 simple ways to declutter your home. 

Change How You View Your Stuff

Although this may sound silly, it can have a huge impact on how much clutter your home has. Objects are not living, breathing beings. They’re items invented by humans to make life easier. However, sometimes that barrier between being grateful for an object and worshiping an object is crossed. It can be way too easy with all of the latest and greatest inventions to find yourself in love with objects. I have news for you though. Guess what? Being in love with your stuff is one of the root causes of having lots of clutter around your home. A good way to reverse this way of thinking is: look around your home daily. While doing a scan, ask yourself with each item- Does this item help me live my everyday life? Does it bring me “joy” (as Marie Condo likes to say)? Do I need it? Or do I want it? Why do I need it? Why do I want it? Most of the time, you’ll have quite a donate pile after scanning. It’s amazing how many things you don’t need. But, you hold onto them for absolutely no reason!

Declutter Your Home Often

Adding on from above, the next step is to take proper action. You don’t think that bread maker is helping you live your everyday life? Alright, great! Guess what? Time to donate or sell that sucker! But, wait. You can’t donate or sell one object and think that your home is clutter-free forever. Clutter in your home is continuous. To keep up with it, you must continuously declutter your home. Ideally, the amount of clutter build-up and decluttering should zero each other out. A good rule to follow is: “one item in and one item out.” If you bring one new thing into your home, then one item should be going out. Simple, right? 

Put Items Away Immediately After Use

If you want less clutter around your home, then this is a must. Stop using the “I’ll get to it later” phrase. Instead, use the “I’ll do it right now” phrase. Whenever you pull an object out, put it back in its proper place right after use. You should see an immediate difference in the amount of “homeless” objects you have. But, you can’t be the only family member following this rule. The whole family must do the same. Get your kids, parents, spouses, and roommates in on this too. If you all do a good job keeping up with this rule, your home is automatically going to be less cluttered. 

Keep a Catch Basket in Every Room

Yup, you got it. A catch basket is a basket that catches all of your misplaced objects. Say, for example, you were in a huge rush and didn’t even have a second to put away your socks. Put them in the catch basket, and you can come back to them later. No more coming home to a mess! The catch basket has you covered. 

Buy With Intention

You can buy things with the tap of a button nowadays. This can make it all too easy to buy things on impulse. Impulse buys equal to more objects around your home. More objects around your home equal more stuff to keep organized. Most of the time, those impulse buys don’t even get used. They sit, taking up room. Buying with intention requires patience and practice. But, the end results are well worth it. Your home and bank account will thank you for not buying that crazy unicorn-head squirrel feeder. 

Get Rid of One-Purpose Items

A good way to declutter your home is by getting rid of some of those one-purpose objects. Ice makers, bread makers, beverage dispensers, etc., are all examples of one-purpose items. I’m not saying that you must get rid of all of them. But, limiting the amount of one-purpose objects you have will definitely cut back on the amount of stuff you own. Thankfully, getting rid of one-purpose items is a lot easier nowadays. New multi-purpose, space-saving inventions are made every day. If you find that you have too many one-purpose items, but like the purpose those items serve, do some research. Who knows, maybe you’ll find an air fryer that can toast, bake, and dehydrate. Woo hoo! Three kitchen appliances in one! You can say goodbye to that toaster and dehydrator. 

Eliminate Doubles

A double is anything around your home that you own two of. They’re the exact same object, but you have two when you only need one. This is a super easy way to declutter your home immediately. Go through your closets, cabinets, and drawers to find all the objects that you own multiples of. Keep one of the objects, and donate or sell the rest. Some people struggle with this concept because they worry about the “what if’s.” What if the blender stops working? What if I have a huge party and need two sets of wine glasses? Although these worries are valid, you must ask yourself how often an event like that would occur. And, if such an event did occur, you can always go to the store and buy that blender or set of wine glasses once you actually need it. Fewer doubles mean less headache. Trust me. 

Limit Paper Clutter to ONE Area

Papers, papers, papers. Mail, bills, sticky notes… you know what I’m talking about. Paper clutter can consume entire counters, desks, and floors. It can make you feel like you’re drowning. It can make you stressed. And, It can give you a headache! Learning to limit your paper clutter to one area in your home is the best thing you could do for yourself. This can be very challenging at first. Especially after a long work day when you just want to throw the mail on the counter. But, discipline is the keyword to success for this tip. Similar to the clutter baskets, I recommend storing all papers (mail, bills, sticky notes, etc.) in a dedicated mail basket. No more paper clutter for you!

Set Monthly Organizing Goals

If you’re having a hard time knowing where to start on decluttering your home, this is your solution. Breaking it into bite-sized pieces will be a lot less overwhelming than trying to organize your entire house at the same time. I recommend taking it room by room. Do not leave the chosen room until it is completely decluttered and organized. If taking it room by room is still overwhelming, then break up each room into certain sections (desk, cabinet, drawer, etc.). The less overwhelming the process is for you, the more motivation you’ll have to finish it. 

Consider Hiring a Professional Organizer

Sometimes, you just aren’t cut out for the job to declutter your home. Maybe you don’t have the time, you don’t have the patience, or you don’t have the “eye for organization.” And, that’s totally okay! Everybody has their weak points. However, if you find that your home’s clutter is affecting your everyday life, then maybe you should consider hiring a professional organizer to declutter your home for you. You can find professional organizers in your area online, in papers, or even by word of mouth. The ways that professional organizers go about their sessions vary. Some take it as a quote per room, while others do hourly rates. Find a professional organizer who you think would best fit you and your family. And, hire away! 

Conclusion

I hope this blog post helps inspire and motivate you to declutter your home. No matter what methods or ways you choose to follow first, remember that discipline and consistency are the keys to success. You can’t declutter your home once and call it good. It is bound to get messy again. Instead, you must remain disciplined and consistent in all that you think and do. You will be tempted at first to not put that mail in the mail basket, but you must resist. The longer you resist, the easier it will become. Until, eventually, putting everything away once you’ve used it is as natural to you as breathing in oxygen. Life is too short to live it overwhelmed and stressed over clutter. So, let’s get decluttering!